Europe has always set the trend for American art, clothing, entertainment, and philosophy. Could it have also been setting the trend for our faith? Once one of the great missionary sending nations, now Europe is considered post Christian with less than 2% of it’s population claiming to be evangelical Christians. Once filled with faithful worshipers, great cathedrals now serve only as tourists attractions and reminders of former years. Could this be where America is headed? What caused this massive shift? How do you engage this kind of culture with the gospel of Christ? Every year the campus ministries group at the University of Mobile hosts a very unconventional “mission” trip designed to grapple with these questions.

The Youth Hostel Mission Trip is a one month backpacking trip through Europe. The goal is to experience, learn from, and impact a post-Christian European culture. We will spend our days as traditional tourists traveling and touring major European cities. We’ll visit major tourist attractions, eat in local restaurants, travel by local transportation (Eurail and metro), and lodge in traditional European youth hostels (inexpensive student lodging). Our primary interactions will be with college age students who are also touring Europe traveling by Eurail and lodging in the various networks of youth hostels. We will literally be standing at the crossroads to the world as each year millions of 18-26 year olds from approximately 120 countries across the globe, travel the European youth hostel circuit. Most travelers are exploring life and are open to new ideas. All are on a physical journey, many are also on a spiritual one. It is our hope that through this trip we might be able to point out how God is already at work in their lives and in our world, in the hopes that they will turn to Christ as Savior. In each setting and situation we’ll seek ways to encourage, love, listen to, learn from, and share our faith stories with those we interact with. We will be travelers who are consciously aware that God is at work in all places at all times. You might say we’ll be missionaries using the platform of a traveler to go places typical missionaries are unable or unwilling to go.